Michel Dion

Last updated

Michel Dion
Born (1954-02-11) February 11, 1954 (age 70)
Granby, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Indianapolis Racers
Cincinnati Stingers
Quebec Nordiques
Winnipeg Jets
Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Draft Undrafted
WHA Draft 121st overall, 1974
Indianapolis Racers
Playing career 1975–1985

Michel J. Dion (born February 11, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who was active in the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League from 1975 to 1985. He also played minor league baseball before deciding on a career in professional hockey.

Contents

Playing career

Dion enjoyed a successful junior hockey career with the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge and initially hoped for a career as a professional baseball player. During the 1971 and 1972 seasons, Dion played professional baseball in the Montreal Expos' organization with the Cocoa Expos and with the West Palm Beach Expos. Eventually, he gave up on baseball in favour of hockey.

After playing his first two pro seasons with the NAHL's Mohawk Valley Comets, Dion joined the WHA's Indianapolis Racers in the second half of the 1975–76 season. His play in the last 31 games of the season earned Dion the Ben Hatskin Trophy as the league's top netminder.

After playing two years with the Cincinnati Stingers, Dion was claimed by the Quebec Nordiques in the Dispersal Draft following the WHA/NHL merger in 1979. Dion excelled in 50 games in Quebec, and kept them in many games late in the season when they were decimated by injuries.

Dion was traded to the Winnipeg Jets for cash in 1980-81 after abandoning his team during a game against the Boston Bruins. [1] In June 1981, he signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins and enjoyed his best NHL season. Dion recorded 25 wins for the Pens in 1981-82 and was chosen to play in the NHL all-star game. He also starred in the opening round of the playoffs when Pittsburgh nearly upset the defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders. Dion was solid over the next two years but only played ten games in 1984–85. He spent most of the year in the American Hockey League before retiring from hockey.

Dion lives in Bluffton, South Carolina. He is a certified Master golf instructor with the USGTF. [2] He is also currently an instructor at PGCC. [3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGPWLTMINGA SO GAA SV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1969–70 Montreal Jr. Canadiens OHA 8———4303905.44—————————
1972–73Granby VicksQJHL—————————————————
1972–73 Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge QMJHL 8———4793904.88.868————————
1973–74 Montreal Juniors QMJHL31———184013504.40.8691——60404.00—
1974–75 Indianapolis Racers WHA 101059404.07.895————————
1974–75 Mohawk Valley Comets NAHL 281012214769603.90—————————
1975–76 Indianapolis RacersWHA311415118608502.74.910302126502.38—
1975–76 Mohawk Valley CometsNAHL22———12958303.84—————————
1976–77 Indianapolis RacersWHA4217193228612813.36.8914222451704.16—
1977–78 Cincinnati Stingers WHA4521171235614043.57.885————————
1978–79 Cincinnati StingersWHA301014216819303.32.873————————
1979–80 Quebec Nordiques NHL 5015256276517123.71.887————————
1980–81 Quebec NordiquesNHL120836866105.33.826————————
1980–81 Indianapolis Checkers CHL 62303641903.13.856————————
1980–81 Winnipeg Jets NHL143637566104.84.864————————
1981–82 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL62252412357222603.80.8785233102204.25.880
1982–83 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL4912304278019804.27.868————————
1983–84 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL302194155113805.34.852————————
1984–85 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL103605504304.69.863————————
1984–85 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL 21106211186503.49—522229902.36—
WHA totals14962667824245053.28.8907243752203.56—
NHL totals227601183212,66089824.26.8705233102204.25.880

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis Racers</span> Former ice hockey team of the World Hockey Association

The Indianapolis Racers were a major league ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They were the first professional team to secure Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec Nordiques</span> Former hockey team of the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association

The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) and the National Hockey League (1979–1995). The franchise was relocated to Denver, Colorado in May 1995 and renamed the Colorado Avalanche. They played their home games at the Colisée de Québec from 1972 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. J. Daigneault</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1965)

Jean-Jacques Daigneault is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League from 1984 to 2000. He was the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2019 to 2021. He also served as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL from 2012 until the end of the 2017–18 NHL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Goulet</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1960)

Michel Bernard Goulet is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association and the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League. He was also a two-time Canada Cup champion with Team Canada. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. C. Tremblay</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Joseph Henri Jean-Claude Tremblay was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association (WHA), notable for play-making and defensive skills.

Blair David MacKasey is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played one game in the National Hockey League, with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1976–77 season, on October 5, 1976 against the Colorado Rockies. He was drafted in the fourth round, 55th overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft. He was also drafted by the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association in the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft. MacKasey was born in Hamilton, Ontario.

Richard "King Richard", "Kermit" Brodeur, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Brodeur was born in Longueuil, Quebec and grew up in Montreal, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Robert</span> Canadian ice hockey player (1948–2021)

René Paul Robert was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Colorado Rockies from 1970 to 1982. He made two All-Star appearances and was selected as the second NHL All-Star team right wing in 1974–75. He also played in the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals with the Sabres, in which he scored the game-winning goal in Game 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Plasse</span> Canadian ice hockey player (1948–2006)

Michel Pierre Plasse was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League from 1970 to 1982. He was selected first overall in the 1968 NHL Amateur Draft by the Montreal Canadiens

Pierre Roland Larouche is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, and New York Rangers between 1974 and 1988. He was a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Canadiens.

Joseph Gérard Marquis Tardif is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in both the National Hockey League (NHL) and the World Hockey Association (WHA), principally for the Quebec Nordiques, and is the all-time leading goal scorer in the WHA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Brown (ice hockey)</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1968)

Robert William Brown is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Lee (ice hockey)</span> English-Canadian ice hockey player

Peter John Lee is an English-born Canadian professional ice hockey manager and former professional ice hockey player. He played 431 National Hockey League games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lee has been serving as CEO of Eisbären Berlin of Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga since 2005.

John David Chabot is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1983 to 1991, and then played in Europe from 1991 until retiring in 2001. He later worked as a coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and spent two seasons as an assistant coach in the NHL in the 2000s.

Robert H. Dollas is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Dollas played defence for the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Detroit Red Wings, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordie Roberts</span> American ice hockey player

Gordon Dennis Roberts is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 1,097 NHL regular season games from 1979 to 1994. He was a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is an honoured member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Robert Richard Sheehan is an American former professional ice hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) between 1969 and 1982 as a center.

James Edward Mann is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 293 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He makes regular appearances with a program for charity, called Oldtimers Hockey Challenge.

Ron James Meighan is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.

The 1979–80 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques eighth season overall, however, it marked as their expansion season in the National Hockey League. Quebec had played their previous seven seasons in the now defunct World Hockey Association. In 1978–79, their last season in the WHA, Quebec finished the year with the second best record, as they had a 41–34–5 record, earning 87 points. The Nordiques were then swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA semi-finals. In the NHL, the team finished out of the playoffs.

References

  1. ↑ Pelletier, Joe (2010-06-29). "Michel Dion". Greatest Hockey Legends.com. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  2. ↑ http://www.usgtf.com/testimonials.html Archived 2019-04-09 at the Wayback Machine United States Golf Teachers Federation Members
  3. ↑ http://www.golfcollege.edu/ The Professional Golfers Career College
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.